Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. Current President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. As president, MUTHARIKA has overseen substantial economic improvement but because of political deadlock in the legislature, his minority party has been unable to pass significant legislation and anti-corruption measures have stalled. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.

Southern Africa, east of Zambia
13 30 S, 34 00 E
Africa
total: 118,480 sq km ; land: 94,080 sq km ; water: 24,400 sq km
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
total: 2,881 km ; border countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
0 km (landlocked)
none (landlocked)
sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m ; highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m
limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
arable land: 20.68% ; permanent crops: 1.18% ; other: 78.14% (2005)
560 sq km (2003)
17.3 cu km (2001)
Total: 1.01 cu km/yr (15%/5%/80%) ; Per capita: 78 cu m/yr (2000)
NA
deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands ; signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature
13,603,181 ; note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 46.1% (male 3,143,724/female 3,130,937) ; 15-64 years: 51.2% (male 3,491,114/female 3,474,209) ; 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 155,954/female 207,243) (2007 est.)
total: 16.7 years ; male: 16.6 years ; female: 16.8 years (2007 est.)
2.383% (2007 est.)
42.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
18.25 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.004 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 1.005 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.753 male(s)/female ; total population: 0.997 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 92.1 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 96.27 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 87.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 42.98 years ; male: 43.35 years ; female: 42.61 years (2007 est.)
5.74 children born/woman (2007 est.)
14.2% (2003 est.)
900,000 (2003 est.)
84,000 (2003 est.)
noun: Malawian(s) ; adjective: Malawian
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census)
Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write ; total population: 62.7% ; male: 76.1% ; female: 49.8% (2003 est.)
degree of risk: very high ; food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever ; vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations ; water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2007)

conventional long form: Republic of Malawi ; conventional short form: Malawi ; local long form: Dziko la Malawi ; local short form: Malawi ; former: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland
multiparty democracy
name: Lilongwe ; geographic coordinates: 13 59 S, 33 47 E ; time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
27 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba

6 July 1964 (from UK)
Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)
18 May 1994
based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government ; head of government: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004) ; cabinet: 46-member Cabinet named by the president ; elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2009) ; election results: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA 35.9%, John TEMBO 27.1%, Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA 25.7%, Brown MPINGANJIRA 8.7%, Justin MALEWEZI 2.5%
unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) ; elections: last held 20 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2009) ; election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDF 74, MCP 60, independents 24, RP 16, others 18, vacancies 1
Supreme Court of Appeal; High Court (chief justice appointed by the president, puisne judges appointed on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission); magistrate's courts
Alliance for Democracy or AFORD; Congress for National Unity or CONU; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [John TEMBO]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]; Malawi Forum for Unity and Development or MAFUNDE [George MNESA]; Mgwirizano Coalition or MC [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA] (coalition of MAFUNDE, MDP, MGODE, NUP, PETRA, PPM, RP); Movement for Genuine Democratic Change or MGODE [Sam Kandodo BANDA]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Brown MPINGANJIRA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Aleke BANDA]; People's Transformation Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO]; Republican Party or RP [Gwandaguluwe CHAKUAMBA]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Bakili MULUZI]
NA
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band
chief of mission: Ambassador Hawa NDILOWE ; chancery: 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20005 ; telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270 ; FAX: [1] (202) 721-0288
chief of mission: Ambassador Alan EASTHAM ; embassy: Area 40, Plot 24, Kenyatta Road ; mailing address: P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi ; telephone: [265] (1) 773 166 ; FAX: [265] (1) 770 471

no party has a majority in the fractured legislature



Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 85% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for more than one-third of GDP and 90% of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for more than half of exports. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In December 2007 the US granted Malawi eligibility status to receive financial support within the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) initiative. Malawi will now begin a consultative process to develop a five-year program before funding can begin. In 2006, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces many challenges, including developing a market economy, improving educational facilities, facing up to environmental problems, dealing with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS, and satisfying foreign donors that fiscal discipline is being tightened. In 2005, President MUTHARIKA championed an anticorruption campaign. Since 2005 President MUTHARIKA'S government has exhibited improved financial discipline under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE and signed a three year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility worth $56 million with the IMF. Improved relations with the IMF lead other international donors to resume aid as well.
$10.47 billion (2007 est.)
$2.37 billion (2007 est.)
5.7% (2007 est.)
$800 (2007 est.)
agriculture: 36.3% ; industry: 18.6% ; services: 45.1% (2007 est.)
4.5 million (2001 est.)
agriculture: 90% ; industry and services: 10% (2003 est.)
NA%
53% (2004)
lowest 10%: 2.9% ; highest 10%: 31.8% (2004)
39 (2004)
8% (2007 est.)
9.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
revenues: $1.082 billion ; expenditures: $1.142 billion (2007 est.)
42.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats
tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods
2.5% (2007 est.)
1.397 billion kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 3.3% ; hydro: 96.7% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0% (2001)
1.299 billion kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
6,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
0 bbl/day (2004)
6,263 bbl/day (2004)
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005)
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
-$180 million (2007 est.)
$657 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel
South Africa 12.6%, Germany 9.7%, Egypt 9.6%, US 9.5%, Zimbabwe 8.5%, Russia 5.4%, Netherlands 4.4% (2006)
$892 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
South Africa 34.6%, India 8.1%, Zambia 7.8%, US 6.4%, Tanzania 5.8%, Germany 4.6%, China 4.3% (2006)

$140 million (31 December 2007 est.)
$622 million (31 December 2007 est.)
$NA
$NA
$NA
Malawian kwacha (MWK)
MWK
Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 141.12 (2007), 135.96 (2006), 108.894 (2005), 108.898 (2004), 97.433 (2003)
1 July - 30 June
$575.3 million (2005)
102,700 (2005)
429,300 (2005)
general assessment: rudimentary ; domestic: fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; privatization of Malawi Telecommunications (MTL), a necessary step in bringing improvement to telecommunications services, completed in 2006; mobile-cellular services are expanding but cellular network coverage is limited, and is based around the main urban areas ; international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean)
AM 9, FM 5 (plus 15 repeater stations), shortwave 2 (plus one shortwave station on standby) (2001)
2.6 million (1997)
1 (2001)
NA
.mw
347 (2007)
3 (2002)
59,700 (2006)

39 (2007)
total: 6 ; over 3,047 m: 1 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2007)
total: 33 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 16 ; under 914 m: 16 (2007)


total: 797 km ; narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
total: 15,451 km ; paved: 6,956 km ; unpaved: 8,495 km (2003)
700 km (on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire River) (2007)

Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba

Malawi Armed Forces: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment) (2007)
18 years of age for voluntary military service; standard obligation is 2 years of active duty and 5 years of reserve service (2007)
males age 18-49: 2,430,514 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 1,226,802 (2005 est.)

1.3% (2006)

disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant



